Oprah Reaps 15-Pound Weight Loss & $45 Million With Weight Watchers, Talks Ellen DeGeneres’ Gay Struggles

Oprah Winfrey has the Midas touch, and she doesn’t use that golden touch without considering her choices carefully. So when weight loss company Weight Watchers approached Oprah, Winfrey insisted on trying out the diet program before she agreed to team up with them. Oprah shared the tale of her weight loss during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, according to the Wrap.

However, when Ellen learned that Oprah reaped $45 million through her Weight Watchers investment, DeGeneres scolded the original diva of daytime talk shows for not notifying her ahead of time.

“Now had she made one phone call to me,” teased Ellen. “I couldn’t have put $40 million in but I could have put a little bit of money in.”

However, Oprah calmed down DeGeneres by pointing out that making that phone call could have landed them both in prison.

“We want to stay out of jail,” joked Winfrey.

Oprah got serious, however, when she discussed her insistence on trying out Weight Watchers to see if it would really work for her own weight loss goals prior to making the investment. It turned out to be a win-win for Winfrey and the weight loss company.

“Since August 12 I have lost 15 pounds,” boasted Winfrey. “But I am excited about Weight Watchers being able to bring a healthier more holistic approach for everybody.”

The founder of Weight Watchers, Jean Nidetch, recently passed away at 91 after changing lives and bodies with her unique weight loss program, as the Inquisitr reported.

The queen of weight loss made a difference because she created the company based on winning her own battle of the bulge. When Jean began Weight Watchers, she weighed 214 pounds and was addicted to foods such as cookies. She had tried dieting before but struck gold while losing 72 pounds with her unique approach and reigned as the ultimate spokeswoman for decades.

Now Oprah is poised to become the Weight Watchers queen as well. But Winfrey is involved in many passions beyond weight loss. In addition to sharing her own slim-down success in her appearance with Ellen, Oprah talked about turning the tables and interviewing DeGeneres about her own life, including the comedian’s gay struggles, reported WTOP.

Winfrey referenced her Oprah’s Master Class show, which will air on OWN. The fifth season features Ellen discussing her life lessons. And when Oprah was on DeGeneres’ show, Winfrey discussed what had surprised her about that discussion.

“You know what I didn’t know — and I was surprised at myself because I’m pretty empathetic as a person — but I really didn’t realize until I saw that Master Class how hard it was for you to say, ‘I’m gay,'” admitted Oprah.

Winfrey said that when she listened to Ellen’s comments about her life, she then recognized what DeGeneres means to so many people and what the comedian has contributed to the world.

“The real work that you’ve done on the planet will be teaching people how to live authentically as themselves,” praised Oprah to Ellen.

In addition to DeGeneres, the series will feature Patti LaBelle, James Taylor, Jeff Bridges, Smokey Robinson, Robert Duvall, and “The Rock” (Dwayne Johnson). Winfrey also revealed that she feels Master Class provides viewers with a look at celebrities’ lives in a way that provides them with meaningful lessons.

“I love this idea of Master Class using people who are known, well known, to tell us about their lives in the form of a class,” mused Oprah.

But Winfrey also loves making money, and now that she’s invested in Weight Watchers, the weight loss company is ready to enjoy the benefits of the Oprah touch, reported the Wrap.

When reports began to emerge that Oprah had purchased 10 percent of Weight Watchers stock, investors watched with delight as their shares soared.

“Oprah brings honesty, people trust her,” pointed out Chad Kawalec, who specializes in advertising and founded the Brand Identity Center. “This is like Weight Watchers winning the lottery.”

Oprah isn’t the only celebrity spokesperson who has worked with Weight Watchers. Others range from Jessica Simpson to Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson to Jennifer Hudson. But when investors discovered that Winfrey had invested millions of her own money in Weight Watchers, it was instant gold.

“Oprah is very wise about her investments,” shared Howard Bragman, chairman and founder of 15 Minutes Public Relations. “Everyone knows she can wave her magic wand and make stocks go up. She does it sparingly and she only does it where she can truly make a difference.”

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards]